| By Daithi hAnluain | Mon Mar 07, 2011 1:03 pm |
Samsung today introduced the Galaxy Pro, an Android-based device for business consumers in the U.K., entering the increasingly-crowded corporate market to compete with Apple and Google.
The South Korea-based handset maker said the Galaxy Pro features a keyboard and a formal-style design. It runs on Android 2.2 and is powered by a zippy 800-megahertz chip. To add a bit of fun, there's also "Social Hub," which is a service that grabs live streams from sites like Facebook and Twitter, and email, and combines it in one convenient view.While the Galaxy Pro isn't a high-end device, and more of a pseudo-business mid-tier device, it will compete with heavyweights like Apple and the spate of other Android devices for the attention of corporate buyers, who have historically gravitated towards Research in Motion's BlackBerry device.
It features a 2.8-inch touch screen display, 3.0-megapixel camera and Wi-Fi that can function as a hotspot for other devices.
The handset will be sold in the U.K. by Three Network, possibly as early as April. Samsung hasn't confirmed pricing or plans for the U.S.
Samsung sold 10 million units of the Galaxy S since the device launched last year and the series helped it reach record profits in January. Since then, the company has extended the family to cater to every segment of the market.
At the beginning of the year, Samsung launched the Galaxy Player, a stripped-down version of the smartphone to challenge Apple's iPod music players. Last month, it announced the flagship Galaxy S 2, a major update to its original model, which joins the Galaxy Mini, for the price-conscious, and the Galaxy S 4G. The Pro completes the lineup.
The range of devices should propel Samsung's growth through 2011 and help the electronics giant become a major force in the smartphone market.
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